Suspenders for overall-type garments



Sept. 21, 1965 R. F. MEISBERGER SUSPENDERS FOR OVERALL-TYPE GARMENTSFiled 061:. 14, 1963 Y E N R O T T A United States Patent 3,206,767SUSPENDERS FOR OVERALL-TYPE GARMENTS Raymond F. Meisberger, Wallingford,Pa., assignor to Industrial Products Company, Philadelphia, Pa., acorporation of Pennsylvania Filed Oct. 14, 1963, Ser. No. 315,999 3Claims. (Cl. 2333) This invention relates generally to work garments,and is especially concerned with overall-type trousers or pants.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide a workgarment of the type described having a unique suspender constructionwhich permits the required looseness of fit and freedom of arm movementwhile affording complete adjustability both of the front and back of thegarment, and wherein the tendency of suspender straps in prior overallgarments to slip or slide oif the wearers shoulder has been effectivelyeliminated.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide asuspender construction for garments having the advantageouscharacteristics mentioned in the preceding paragraph, wherein an extremedegree of adjustability is quickly and easily achieved by a uniqueadjustment structure.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a workgarment of the type described which is extremely simple in construction,comfortably and easily employed, durable and reliable throughout a longuseful life, and which can be economically manufactured for sale at areasonable price.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon readingthe following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings,which form a material part of this disclosure.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will beexemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which thescope will be indicated by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front perspective view illustrating a garment of thepresent invention in its condition of use upon a wearer;

FIGURE 2 is a rear perspective view showing the garment of FIGURE 1,absent the wearer;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevational view showing connection means of theinstant invention;

FIGURE 4 is a front elevational view similar to FIG- URE 3 illustratingthe buckle thereof, partly broken away;

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken generally along the line5-5 of FIGURE 3, indicating one condition of suspender-strap adjustment;

FIGURE 6 is a longitudinal sectional view similar to FIGURE 5, butillustrating an early stage in obtaining extreme strap adjustment;

FIGURE 7 is a longitudinal sectional view similar to FIGURE 6 showing alater stage in obtaining extreme strap adjustment; and

FIGURE 8 is a longitudinal sectional view similar to FIGURES 6 and 7,showing a final condition of extreme strap adjustment.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and specifically toFIGURES 1 and 2 thereof, an overall-type garment is there generallydesignated 10, and includes a lower or pants part 11, and an upper partor bib 12 extending upward from the forward or front region of thepants. A suspender construction or suspension is generally designated 13and extends over the shoulders of the wearer 14 being detachablyconnected to front and rear regions of the pants.

3,296,7fi7 Patented Sept. 21, I965 The suspension construction 13 isbest seen in FIG- URE 2 and may include a neck strap 16, fabricated ofwebbing or other suitable material, having its medial region 17 adaptedto extend behind a wearers neck. From the medial strap region 17, theneck strap extends forwardly on both sides of the neck and downwardly,as at 18, toward the bib 12. Connecting each end of the neck strap 16 tothe bib 12 is an adjustable connection means, generally designated 19.

A rear strap 20, also fabricated of webbing or other suitable material,extends generally vertically between the medial neckstrap region 17 anda rear region of the pants 11. The backstrap 20 is provided at its upperend with a closed loop 21, which opens horizontally slidably receivingtherethrough the medial neck-strap region 17. The closed loop 21 may beformed integrally with the backstrap 20, as by folding the upper endortion thereof upon itself and tacking or otherwise afiixing the strapterminus to an adjacent strap portion, as at 22.

An adjustable connection means 19' serves to connect the lower end ofbackstrap 20 to the rear region of pants 11. The adjustable connectionmeans 19 and 19' may all be substantially identical, if desired, so thatdetailed description of one will suflice.

In FIGURES 35 are shown in greater detail one of the adjustableconnection means 19. Such connection means includes a buckle 25 whichmay be suitably formed, say molded of plastic, or otherwise, andnormally disposed generally vertically. The buckle 25 has its upper endregion 26 formed with a series of generally parallel, laterallyextending openings or coextensive slots 27, 28 and 29, being numbered inthe direction downward or away from the upper end of the buckle 25. Thelower buckle region 30 may taper or converge downwardly to a lower-endbutton receiver or eye 31, as for snap reception of a pants button 32.The lower-end button receiver or eye 31 opens upward to an enlargedopening 33, as for passing the head of button 32; and, the opening 33opens upward through a constriction 34 into the lower or innermost slot29. Formed on the upper bounding edge of the lower or innermost slot 23may be a series of serrations, teeth or piercing points 35 entering intothe slot, for a purpose appearing presently.

Directly associated with the buckle 25 is a strap end portion 37, say anend portion of strap 16. The strap end portion 37 may be considered ascombining with the buckle 25 to define the adjustable connection means19.

As best seen in FIGURE 5, the strap end portion 37 depends from theadjacent strap portion 18 to the buckle 25 and there extends forwardly,as at 38 through the upper or outer slot 27, whence it passes downwardlyand inwardly, as at 39 through the adjacent or intermediate slot 28, andthence outwardly through the next inner or innermost slot 29, as at 40.From the innermost or lower slot 40 the strap extends upward on theouter side thereof, as at 41, and thence inward at 42 through the upperor outer slot 27 and upward to fixed connection, as by tack 43, orotherwise, to the strap portion 18. Thus, it will be seen that the strapend portion 47 is effectively doubled, by virtue of the fixed securement43, and that the doubled or overlying sections of strap portion 37extend together through the upper slot 27, thence diverging downwardlyabout bar 45 separating slots 28 and 29. To obtain proper adjustment,one upper region of the looped or doubled strap portion 37 is retractedinward for loose folding, as at 46. As illustrated, the loose fold 46 isdisposed inward of the buckle 25, but it is apparent that the strapportions 38-42 may be shifted, if desired, to dispose the loose foldoutward of the buckle. In either condition the selected position ofadjustment is effectively retained by the frictional interaction of thebuckle and interlaced strap por- '2 a tions; and further, positiveretention of the buckle is insured by the fixed securement or tack 43.

When it is desired to achieve an extreme condition of adjustment, say toeffectively shorten straps 16 and 20 more than is possible by thecondition shown in FIGURE 5, then the condition illustrated in FIGURE 8is employed. In FIGURE 8 an additional part of strap portion 18 isemployed in the connection means 19, and the strap end portion may befolded, say at 50 to define a doubled strap and portion which, in thiscondititon, extends considerably beyond the securement 43. The doubledstrap end portion may extend in one direction, as at 51, outward throughthe upper or outer slot 27, thence together, as at 52 inward through thelower or inner slot, thence together outward, as at 53 through theintermediate slot 28, and thence inward through the outer slot, as at54, extending thence to the fold 50. This condition is one of firmsecurement between the strap 16 and buckle 25, as by the interlacing ofthe strap through the buckle, while permitting of extremely wide-rangeadjustment. Here again, the folded, taken-up strap material, as betweenfold 50 and strap portions 54, may be located on the outer side of thebuckle 25 as well as the inner side, if desired.

It will also be observed that the fixed securement 43 of the strapterminus to an intermediate strap location does not restrict the degreeof adjustment, and provides assurance against possible detachment of thebuckle from the strap.

In order to obtain the extreme adjustment condition of FIGURE 8 from thenormal adjustment condition of FIGURE 5, the steps illustrated inFIGURES 6 and 7 may be employed. For example, the strap portion 18 maydepend to the buckle 25, thence extending forwardly at 60 through theupper or outer slot 27, and thence inwardly, at 61 through the lower orinner slot 29, say to a fold 62. The strap end loop defined bysect1rement or tack 43 extends about the buckle bar 45 and inwardtherefrom to the loop 62.

From this condition of FIGURE 6, the strap regions 60 and 61 are passeddownward and inward beyond the told 62 t the desired position ofadjustment; and, the inwardly passed strap material is folded, as at 50,being passed upward and downward through the intermediate slot 28, andthence inward and upward through the upper slot 27. This condition isshown in FIGURE 7, from which it wil be understood that continued upwardwithdrawal of the fold 50 results in the extreme adjustment condition ofFIGURE 8.

From the foregoing, it is seen that the garment construction of thepresent invention fully accomplishes its intended objects and is welladapted to meet practical conditions of manufacture and use.

Although the present invention has been described in some detail by wayof illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, itis understood that certain changes and modifications may be made withinthe spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Suspenders for a work garment including pants, and a bib extendingupward from the front region of the pants, said suspenders comprising asingle neck strap adapted to pass behind the neck of a wearer with itsend extending forward toward said bib, connection means connecting theends of said neck strap to said bib, at least one of said connectingmeans being adjustable, a

generally vertical single backstrap having at its upper end a laterallyhorizontally opening loop freely slidably receiving a medial region ofsaid neck strap behind the wearer, and additional adjustable connectionmeans at the lower end of said backstrap for connecting the latter to arear region of said pants, one of said adjust-able connection meanscomprising a buckle having a fastener element at one end for fasteningto the pants and having a plurality of transverse slots at the otherend, the adjacent end portion of the respective strap being interlacedthrough said slots, and securing means fixing the terminus of saidrespective strap end portion to an intermediate location of saidrespective strap, said slots being at least three in number andextending in substantial parallelism laterally of said buckle; saidstrap end portion extending in one direction through the outer slot,thence in the other direction through the adjacent slot, thence in saidone direction through the next inner slot and thence in said otherdirection through said outer slot; the strap portion be tween saidintermediate location and buckle being foldable to adjust said oneadjustable connection means.

2. Suspenders according to claim 1, in combination with teeth on saidbuckle extending into said next inner slot for piercing engagement withthe strap portion extending through said next inner slot.

3. Suspenders for a work garment including pants, and a bib extendingupward from the front region of the pants, said suspenders comprising asingle neck strap adapted to pass behind the neck of a wearer with itsends extending forward toward said bib, connection means connecting theends of said neck strap to said bib, at least one of said connectionmeans being adjustable, a generally vertically single backstrap havingat its upper end a laterally horizontally opening loop freely slidablyreceiving a medial region of said neck strap behind the wearer, andadditional adjustable connection means at the lower end of saidbackstrap for connecting the latter to a rear region of said pants, oneof said adjustable connection means comprising a buckle having afastener element at one end for fastening to the pants and having atleast three parallel slots at the other end; the terminus of theadjacent strap being folded upon itself to define a doubled strap endportion; said doubled strap end portion extending in one directionthrough the outer slot, thence in the other direction through the innerslot, thence in said one direction through the intermediate slot, andthence in said other direction through said outer slot, the terminus ofsaid adjacent strap being fixedly secured to an intermediate point ofsaid doubled strap end portion, to positively secure said strap to saidbuckle.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 13,680 1/14Hirsh 2322 X 190,516 5/77 Richmond 2-326 1,077,671 11/13 Clarke 23261,363,028 12/20 Weille 2327 1,411,119 3/22 Metcalf 279 1,898,741 2/33Peterson 24-200 2,065,284 12/36 Mosgrove 24200 X 2,649,637 8/53 Hodge24-200 2,710,486 6/55 Blatt 24200 X FOREIGN PATENTS 4,756/31 10/32Australia.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

1. SUSPENDERS FOR A WORK GARMENT INCLUDING PANTS, AND A BIB EXTENDINGUPWARD FROM THE FRONT REGION OF THE PANTS, SAID SUSPENDERS COMPRISING ASINGLE NECK STRAP ADAPTED TO PASS BEHIND THE NECK OF A WEARER WITH ITSEND EXTENDING FORWARD TOWARD SAID BIB, CONNECTION MEANS CONNECTING THEENDS OF SAID NECK STRAP TO SAID BIB, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID CONNECTINGMEANS BEING ADJUSTABLE, A GENERALLLY VERTICAL SINGLA BACKSTRAP HAVING ATITS UPPER END A LATERALLY HORIZONTALLY OPENING LOOP FREELY SLIDABLYRECEIVING A MEDIAL REGION OF SAID NECK STRAP BEHIND THE WEARER, ANDADDITIONAL ADJUSTABLE CONNECTION MEANS AT THE LOWER END OF SAIDBACKSTRAP FOR CONNECTING THE LATTER TO A REAR REGION OF SAID PANTS,ONEOF SAID ADJUSTABLE CONNECTION MEANS COMPRISING A BUCKLE HAVING AFASTENER ELEMENT AT ONE END FOR FASTENING TO THE PANTS AND HAVING APLURALITY OF TRANSVERSE SLOTS AT THE OTHER END, THE ADJACCENT ENDPORTION OF THE RESPECTIVE STRAP BEING INTERLACED THROUGH SAID SLOTS, ANDSECURINGMEANS FIXING THE TERMINUS OF SAID RESPECTIVE STRAP END PORTIONTO AN INTERMEDIATE LOCATION OF SAID RESPECTIVE STRAP, SAID SLOTS BEINGAT LEAST